30 October 2013

Kirby just told me about a new mexican food place that opened around the corner from our apartment. Cerveceria Havemeyer by the same owners as La Superior and Cantina Royal will be the new Taco Chulo backup spot. Twerk around the corner and drink a margarita!

During a lunch concert at Amsterdam's famed Royal Concertgebouw, Pires sat down at her piano fully expecting to hear one Mozart concerto, but the orchestra suddenly started to play a different one: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466. (via)

25 October 2013

I was listening to Reba McEntire sing about The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, and i was thinking, this is obviously one of the best songs in the entire world. This song is a National Treasure, and so is Reba McEntire for writing it. Then I did a little digging. Turns out that the Reba version from 1991 is one of those magical covers that has totally explised the original (like what Ike and Tina did to Creedance Clearwater Revival with Proud Mary). The original version of this song, written by Bobby Russell was recorded by his wife, Vicki Lawrence, from The Carol Burnett Show and later Mama's Family.
Originally, Bobby Russell did not want to even record a demo for the song because he didn't like it. Vicki Lawrence, his wife at the time, revealed the history of the song on her talk show in the 1990s when Reba McEntire was a guest on her show. According to Lawrence, she believed it was destined to be a hit and recorded the demo herself. The publisher didn't quite know where to pitch the song. The first thought was to pitch the song to Liza Minnelli. However, "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" was first offered to Cher, but her then-husband and manager Sonny Bono reportedly turned it down (he was said to be concerned that the song might offend Cher's southern fans)via

Tanya Tucker also did a cover of this song in 1981 that changed the plot around to suit the movie of the same name that was released that year. I can't talk about this special song without mentioning the best monologue in sitcom history delivered by Dixie Carter in Designing Women. And that Marjorie, just so you will know, and your children will someday know, is the night the lights went out in Georgia. Applause Applause.

23 October 2013

As she describes, Faye discovered GIF making by accident, while fiddling on images on her computer. “My exploration into the realm of GIFs was never a predetermined ambition, but rather a wonderful accident,” she wrote in an interview with Hyperallergic. “When collaging, I often alter the composition slightly, scan, and repeat the process until I’m satisfied. Flicking through the scans on the computer to determine my favourite version, I saw them move and come to life.” (via)

With a fifth of their population below sea level, the Dutch have historically been ahead of the curve when it comes to planning for ecological disasters. A new project from Dutch designer Pieter Stoutjesdijk takes that efficiency one step further, with an emergency shelter that can be built in a mere five hours. (via)

welcome to a new recurring 2Pz column : 2Pz national treasurez, where we celebrate americans who touch our hearts. today, please welcome...shelton johnson!!!!!!111

in protest of the #shutdown, i've been watching the ken burns documentary series "national parks: america's best idea". anyone who's ever seen it will know who shelton johnson is. he's been called "the unexpected star" of the series. he was invited to the white house to watch the doc with president obama (and presumably bo obama). and remember when oprah and gayle visited yosemite national park. well, you can guess who invited them.

do yourself a favor and read all about shelton. then, let's quit our jobs and go be national park rangers, ok?

i just wanted to make you aware of a hot new trend in hip hop: ma$e references. allow me to demonstrate.

here is a song on drake's new album, called "worst behavior". skip ahead to about 2:30, and you'll hear his adaptation of a ma$e verse.

here it is, the first verse of notorious b.i.g.'s "mo money mo problems.

this morning, i was perusing the new pusha t album (thx djv), and i was all "ooh a song with kelly rowland....play!" i was real surprised to find that ma$e was also on the song, but it turns out its just pusha t doing a ma$e impression. skip to 1:25 to hear his take on...

...ma$e's classic "what you want" (skip to 1:35).

and just for good measure, you might remember kanye's ma$e reference on "cold" a couple years back, borrowing the opening line from...

... "lookin' at me".

there you have it. ma$e = still hot in 2013! celebrate your friday with harlem world!

they cancelled their tour and might not be brothers anymore! well i guess they will always be brothers but they won't be "the jonas brothers" and im guessing that thanksgiving is going to be pretty awkward. according to people magazine, according to the new york times, a group spokesman described “a deep rift within the band” and “a big disagreement over their musical direction.”

omg you guys, rihanna is planning to move to new york instead of back to LA after her current world tour is over. that means the chance that i will run into rihanna will increas dramatically. i wonder if rihanna like dumplings or hot wings or tacos! i'll find out. via

09 October 2013

here are some things that made my eyes water while reading about our beloved footvols:

Tennessee has reason for optimism: The loss hurts and it looked like the Volunteers were going to pull off the upset of the No. 6 team in the country, but there are definitely positives to be taken away. For starters, the kind of fight and grittiness Tennessee showed is what you want to see in your football team and something that hasn't necessarily been there in recent years. The Vols could have easily folded up like a tent when down 17-3 and Georgia was on the verge of taking a three-score lead before a missed field goal. Instead, they fought to the point that they put themselves in position to win. That's a huge positive for new coach Butch Jones. Secondly, quarterback Justin Worley played his best game of the year and made some big-time throws down the stretch. The execution by Worley down the stretch -- as well as the offense as a whole on three fourth-down plays in the second half -- was terrific. (via)

HOT

Butch Jones’ message: Lost in Tennessee’s gut-wrenching 34-31 overtime loss to Georgia was a message from first-year coach Butch Jones to Vols fans that was unmistakable: He plays to win, and that’s the way it’s going to be on his watch. Tennessee went for it on fourth down three times in the fourth quarter, twice in its own territory, and converted all three. It wasn’t just that the Vols went for it on fourth down, but the play calls were absolute beauties. Tennessee is still a ways off from being an SEC contender, but Jones continues to grind away … and stack those bricks. (via)

12. Tennessee (3-3, 0-2 SEC; LW: 13): What a fight by Tennessee in that heartbreaking loss to Georgia. The Bulldogs did sustain some serious injuries, but Justin Worley delivered some big-time throws and wide receiver Pig Howard is turning into a real playmaker, except for that goal-line fumble. This defense still has a long way to go, but Saturday showed that this team truly has heart. (via)

the latest interactive feature from the NYT examines the history of the high-rise and its effects on the built environment and society. it's pretty fun and timely if you consider we are watching rosemary's baby tomorrow night at scary movie wednesdays. #thedakota

07 October 2013

there was a baby animal blessin' at st john the divine yesterday (don't not click that). jicyct, that's edie falco holding a recently blessed baby alpaca. i wish i would've been invited. i would've brought dharma and worn a homemade t-shirt that said "bless this mess."